COPPER THIEVES CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Friday, December 17, 2010— A Shorewood man has been charged for stripping copper wire from a Palos Township home, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced Friday.

Joshua Davis-Nguyen, 25, of the 22300 block of South River Road in Shorewood has been charged with one count of burglary. Another man involved in the theft is still at large.

Around 3:30 p.m. on December 16th, Cook County Sheriff’s Police patrol officers responded to a 911 call of a burglary in progress at the 13000 block of Ambrose Drive in Palos Township. When officers arrived, they found a car parked in the closed garage of the home, which is under construction. Police found Davis-Nguyen hiding inside the car, and placed him under arrest. Another man fled on foot.

When officers searched the home, they found a substantial quantity of copper piping had been stripped from the interior of the house, primarily the attic and the basement, and placed in the offender’s car. Davis-Nguyen and his partner forced their way into the home through a side door.

The victim, a construction company located in Countryside, told police the missing pipe and damage to the home was approximately $4,000. Copper remains a popular target for thieves, as prices continue to rise in the financial markets, and scrap dealers pay premiums for the metal.

Bond was set at $5,000 for Davis-Nguyen on Friday. His next court date is December 30th in Bridgeview. Police are seeking any information related to the second offender, who may last have been in Joliet. Tips can be called in to 708-865-4700.